reservoir

The ‘Ghost Bridge’ of Oak Ridge Reservoir – Part 3

| Paul Havemann

I’ve always wondered what the original, long-gone village of Oak Ridge was like before it was covered by the waters of the reservoir. There are hints in vintage letters and postcards, as well as in tales told by the descendants of those who lived there. If there are old photos, I have yet to find them.

This photo offers a glimpse of the original Oak Ridge village. Taken in 1965, it’s an aerial view of the reservoir, showing long-drowned roadways. If you think 2024’s drought is bad, this was worse. The 1960s drought, which occurred from late 1962 to 1966, was deemed the most severe drought in the northeast United States over the last century [cite].

The Oak Ridge Reservoir in 1965. Click for full-sized photo.

In this photo, the view is looking the south/southeast. The Pequannock River enters the valley at lower right, meandering its way along the bed. Route 23 is at the bottom… those small rectangles are cars on the highway. Unfortunately, the ghost bridge is just outside this photo. You can, however, see a number of roadways heading north/south and east/west – something I did not see on my early-November visit. The small hamlet of Wallace Corner is probably not in this photo either, but you can see the road(s) that would have taken you there.

You can also see – right above Route 23 – the original path of the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike (as discussed here).

Should you choose to visit this 19th-Century artifact, know that the Newark Watershed has regular patrols of the area. In fact, in November 2024, the West Milford police were actively ticketing visitors for trespassing.

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More about the ‘Ghost Bridge’ of Oak Ridge Reservoir – Part 2

| Paul Havemann

(This is a continuation of the original post that you can find here.)

I found this line drawing in an 1891 journal titled Engineering Record, in an article titled Construction of the East Jersey Water Company’s Aqueduct and Reservoirs.  It’s a lengthy account of the massive undertaking of building five reservoirs in north Jersey for the benefit of Newark. 

So this line drawing is described thus: “Figure 3 is a view of the three-arch bridge carrying the new highway across an arm of the Oak Ridge reservoir. At full stages of the water these arches will be completely submerged.”  

Which, of course, they are, as per the first blog post. If you’re lucky to be there during a drought, you too can see it… even walk on it, if you dare.

Ghost Bridge illustration (1891)
Ghost Bridge illustration (1891)

The “new highway” wasn’t all that new; it was the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike, first chartered in 1806 and improved over the years. At the time the Oak Ridge reservoir was under construction, the roadway ran right along the shore of the river. But since the reservoir would flood the valley, the roadway would have to be moved to higher ground, which it was, sometime around 1927.

Looking north on the east shore of the Oak Ridge Reservoir, late 1890s. On the right is the railroad. (Click image for full-sized view.)

In this postcard photo we see the original route of the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike (also known, at that time, as Route 8) which followed the eastern shore of the reservoir. The ridge supporting the railroad is visible on the right, well above the roadway.

And if you examine the photo closely (or click on it to open it up full size), at lower left is the old bridge that led to the village of Oak Ridge.

Where the original roadway was not far above the water line, today’s highway is elevated several yards higher — almost level with those railroad tracks — to prevent any flooding issues. The highway was also straightened, such that it proceeds nearly north (to the left) of the roadway here, and very close to the bridge. Today, if you park on Route 23 South near the bridge, you look down on it, over a very steep incline, and from a much closer vantage than shown here.

Here’s a 2022 photo taken from about the same vantage as the late 1800s photo above. You, too, can trod on the original route of the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike. (You would actually be trespassing. Go at your own risk; Newark Watershed patrols can be cranky.)

View of the reservoir, and Route 23, from just about the same vantage point in 2024. Click to see full size.

The next post in this series shows the reservoir practically dry, during the epic 1960s drought, in a truly impressive aerial photo.

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